The Early History of Elora, Ontario and Vicinity (on CD)

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Cat No.: CA0381: (See also product CA0381-DL for this "book" as a downloadable file and save the mailing cost.)

Note: This book is also sometimes known by the single word, “Elora”.

Here is an exceptionally detailed history of the town of Elora, which grew into a town around the dramatic natural geographic feature of the Grand River falling over the edge of a rocky ridge in the middle of a plain of good agricultural land.

This book developed over several tens of years, starting when the author started collecting notes, journals and accounts of various inhabitants, including the pioneers, of the “european” settlement. The area was well known to the local indigenous population well before the arrival of the “white” man, and Connon gives us mention of the tribes and groups, mostly Hurons and Attiwandarons (the Neutrals), who considered this their hunting area before the inevitable “edging out” and “civilizing” processes submersed them in a sea of westernization. The settlement of the area by westerners took place over the period from 1795 to 1817, Captain Smith being generally recognized as the first permanent settler of the Elora area.

From this point the book goes on to detail the growth and development of the entire area around Elora, illustrating his account with the stories and reports of the individuals and families who were making their homes there. Many of these accounts also provide the genealogical “histories” of local families. While the author includes “Introductory Remarks” dated January 1906, the publication date for this book is 1930, so there is some uncertainty about the currency of the most recent reports but this is a small penalty for the wealth of detail about the first 100 or so years of the area.

The author, John R Connon is the first son of one of the early settlers and continued living on the family farm well after the death of his father. His primary occupation seems to have been as an inventor, his most recognizable invention being the 360 deg. panoramic camera. He was born in 1862 and died in 1931, the year after the publication of his book.